Fire-kindler



(No Model.)

C. VAN GULPEN.

FIRE KINDLER.

No. 363,703. Patented May 24, 1887.

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UNITED; STATES PATENT OFFICE? CARL VAN GULPEN, OF SAN FRANCISCO,CALIFORNIA.

FlRE-KINDLER;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 363,703, dated May 24-,1887.

Application filed September 20. 1886.

Serial No. 214,010. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CARL VAN GU'LPEN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco andState of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Fire- Kindlers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, which willenable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part ofthis specification.

My invention has relationto fire-kindlers adapted for igniting coal andwood fires, and also for use as a fuel, if desired, and in the drawinghereto annexed I have shown a pen spective view of one of my improvedfirekindlers or fire-kindling blocks, showing the shape in which Iprefer to make the same.

To prepare my improved firekindler I use the following ingredients inproportions substantially as set forth, to wit: vegetable matter-such asthe refuse from fruit-canning establishments, beetroot-sugar factories,or from'vineyards and distilleries-seventy-five pounds; rcsin,onehundredpounds; pulverized coal mixed with charcoal, fifty pounds; brea, twentyfive pounds; tallow, twenty five pounds; crude petroleum, about onegallon. The vegetable matterhcrein referred to should first bethoroughly dried, so as to remove all traces of moisture, after which itis ground and granulated in a suitable mill to a powder about as fine assawdust. If vegetable matter or refuse of this nature is not readilyobtainable, the same quantity of sawdust may be used in its place.

To prepare my improved fire kindling blocks from the foregoingmaterials, I first mix theresin and tallow in proper proportions andmelt the same in a suitable vessel by steam-heat. The granulatedvegetable matter is thoroughly mixedand beaten up with the pulverizedcoal, charcoal, and brea by placing it in a revolving drum orbeating'engine, or any other machine adapted for the purpose, and

after these ingredients have been thoroughly mixed together they areincorporated with the mixture of melted resin and tallow in a vesselsubjected to a moderate heat, so as to keep the melted resin and tallowsufficiently fluid to cause the thorough admixture of the ingredients.Lastly, the petroleum is added, and the whole mixture is thoroughlystirred by any suitable means, so as to form a homo geneous plastic massof such a consistency that it may readily be molded or pressed intoblocks of suitable shape.

I prefer to make the blocks by pressing the material into molds by meansof any suitable press, blocks thus produced being either circular orsquare in shape, and in size about two inches in length and in width,and about three-fourths of an inch in thickness. Ido not, however,confine myself to any particular size or shape of the blocks, as thatwill depend in a measure upon the purposes for which they are to beused; but when they are to be used for the purpose of kindling wood orcoal fires,the size above stated will be found amply sufficient, as asmall block of that size or a oue-inch cube will burn for a period ofthirty minutes, or long enough to cause half a gallon of cold water toboil in ten minutes. In order to prevent the plastic material fromsticking to the plungers of the press in which the blocks areshaped,itis advisable to let the mixture cool off considerably before itis placed in the press, or to wash the plungers occasionally with wateror coal-oil. The press may be worked either by hand-power or bymachinery, as may be desired.

The material known as brea, which forms one of the ingredients in myimproved firekindler, is a natural hydrocarbon in the nature of anatural oily or bituminous substance, which is found in large quantitiesin southern California. It exudes from the ground in certain localities,and after exposure to the atmosphere becomes hard and brittle. Itcontains a much larger percentage of bitumen than the ordinary naturalasphalt, and, while admirably adapted for the purpose to which I applyit, does not seem to be aswell fitted for usein pavements as theTrinidad and other natural asphalts. I have found by practicalexperience that the proportions of the several ingredients hereinbeforegiven are productive of the best results; but it is obvious that theselow, and crude petroleum mixed in about the proportions set forth,andmolded under pressure into blocks of suitable size and shape,sub- 1stantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereuntoaffixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CARL VAN Gi'JLPEN.

Witnesses:

THIREME LANDRY, CHAS. T. STANLEY.

